Social stereotypes are something that most members of our modern society are quite familiar with: thematic, imagistic categories of being, as specified by collective groupings of behavior and interests. These stereotypes often define how others perceive us, as well as how we feel about ourselves. To many, they’re painfully exaggerated personal prisons, with the power to limit both self-confidence and the scope of individual social interaction.
Over the last few months, the Internet mill has churned out yet another social stereotype: the “fake nerd girl.” She’s a young adult female characterized by her geek wannabe status, as is illuminated to genuine self-titled (and usually male) nerds by her incongruent good looks, oversized and often non-prescribed glasses, and lack of specific, intense knowledge on the “nerdy” things she claims to enjoy. Her self-perpetuated interest in video games, comic books, and television, film, or book fandoms are simply a ruse for male attention, which the “real” nerds, in an attempt to preserve their collective image, are quick to point out.
The modern era’s lexicon for young adult debate on societal topics, the blog network, presents several different points of view on the “fake nerd girl.” Some bloggers attack her, insulting her intelligence and sexuality with the ever-popular appellation of “Idiot Nerd Girl” and the bitter, pointed, “You’re not a nerd girl, you’re just a whore who found glasses.” Others jump to her defense, arguing that there is no reason why both men and women across the range of social groups should not enjoy similar interests; furthermore, that greater knowledge of trivia about a subject does not entitle someone to excluding others from it.
As a woman who is a fiercely dedicated member of the Harry Potter fandom, I object to the emergence of the “fake nerd girl” stereotype, which suddenly calls the reasons behind liking something into play. Rather than embracing a diversification of interests, people who were often previously excluded themselves are turning the tables and perpetuating a new level of hypocrisy. What does it matter if a girl was drawn to The Avengers because she was an avid admirer of Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, or Robert Downey Jr.? Hardly anybody sits through a movie that long without paying any attention to its plot. And if she calls herself a fan even though she hasn’t read the original comic books, that just means the movie has fulfilled its intended function. I highly doubt that Stan Lee is looking at his box office numbers and lamenting that there was a large number of women among the audience.
It all comes down to respect. As members of the same species, neighbors in a global community, and individuals who share the same resources, we have to tolerate and respect one another, even if that means losing a bit of elbow room in your personal favorite sub sect of popular culture. These things were created to be enjoyed, and their creators rejoice in their being shared and talked about. Social categorization is absurd—we are individuals, not lemmings—and immature; hardly anyone enjoys being defined and restricted, so the defense and reinforcement of these limiting categories comes across as both rude and ridiculous.
It’s great to be proud of who you are, but that pride should not limit yourself nor put down others. Individuals are impossible to pinpoint—they come equipped with a plethora of interests, a myriad of unexpressed thoughts, and an infinite scope of possibilities. And “fake nerd girl” is just another human being exploring the many remarkable products of human creativity.